The subject was snow but the debate was heated Tuesday night as a divided Plymouth Township Board of Trustees approved the purchase of snowmaking equipment for the sledding hill at Township Park.

The $21,000 snowmaker, a $480 hose and a yet-to-be-purchased $650 pump are intended to increase the number of days during winter months that the hill can be used for sledding.

But Trustees Chuck Curmi and Bob Doroshewitz urged fellow board members to put the move on hold, saying a snowmaker would make the hill, in Curmi's words, "an attractive nuisance" that would increase the potential for injuries and the chances the township would be sued over them.

"We're taking a sled hill and we're turning it into a regional attraction, and I don't see a plan," said Doroshewitz, who argued the sledding hill, and the pavilion under construction nearby, should be supervised. "It hasn't been thought through and it hasn't been properly planned."

The purchase was approved on a 4-3 vote, with Trustee Mike Kelly joining Doroshewitz and Curmi in voting no. Kelly said it was too late in the season for the purchase, pointing out that the pavilion isn't even finished.

Edwards, who had pushed for the snowmaker, said increasing opportunities for recreation should be part of keeping the township a desirable community. There was opposition to building township soccer fields and to the sprayscape at Township Park too, but those projects were successful, he said.

"We stay ahead of the curve," Edwards said. Delaying the purchase, he said, could mean paying for changes to the pavilion later if it's found the water pressure there isn't adequate for a snowmaker.

Prior to the Feb. 1 snowstorm, Edwards said, the hill had only been used for sledding on 12 days this winter.

Supervisor Richard Reaume said the township's insurer, the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, provides advice on managing risks, including for a sledding hill, and that supervision is generally thought to increase liability.

"There are risks with all types of recreation," Reaume said.

Doroshewitz asked who was in charge of township recreation, and Reaume answered that it was ultimately the supervisor. Reaume turned to Dorshewitz, saying he was surprised at the question.

"I actually find that amazing. You've been on the board for ten-plus years," he said.

Catcalls

The snowmaker was clearly unpopular with many citizens at the meeting, and board members faced catcalls from some of them. At one point, Reaume angrily recessed the meeting, conferring with Police Chief Tom Tiderington for about five minutes outside the meeting room.

Resident Pete Woolford questioned whether the township should be in competition with the private sector when it comes to recreation, and also questioned Edwards' role in the project.

"Do you want to be the amusement director here? Are you the treasurer?" Woolford said.

"What concern is it of yours if we do more work here?" Edwards replied, adding that township staffing is limited.

According to Edwards, the snowmaker can cover one acre with 12 inches of snow in two days, and uses up to 4,600 gallons of water per hour.